Government Must Be Ready To Step In To Dump Row - Teather

1.59.00pm GMT Tue 17th Nov 2009

Sarah Teather is campaigning with local people against the unpopular Brent Cross development

Liberal Democrat Brent East MP Sarah Teather will speak up for local residents at the planning hearing of the Brent Cross Cricklewood Development, and has warned the government to be ready to step in if the controversial plans are approved.

The unpopular scheme includes a large waste dump on the border with Brent and would bring an estimated 29,000 extra cars a day onto local roads.

Both Brent and Camden Council have formally opposed the plans, and thousands of local residents have signed petitions supporting Sarah's call for the Labour Government to "call in" the scheme.

Residents will be campaigning outside Hendon Town Hall on Wednesday night, before making their representations to the Conservative controlled planning committee.

Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather said:

"I will stand firm alongside local residents against the unpopular and damaging Brent Cross Cricklewood plans. If this development is approved it would be a disaster for Brent, a disaster for the environment, and a disaster for my constituents.

"As it currently stands, Barnet gets all the benefits of the scheme while Brent is lumbered with the pollution and the traffic problems. Edgware Road already suffers from chronic congestion and simply will not cope with thousands of extra cars and lorries from the dump.

"Regeneration should be about making an area better, not making it worse. I hope that Barnet give serious consideration to the thousands of people who have protested against this development, by sending developers back to the drawing board.

"Should Barnet fail to protect residents in Brent then the government must use their power to call this scheme in."

Related Links:

Barnet Council planning meeting papers.

Brent Cross Coalition blog.